A Time For Yohe by Between the Trees (and my thoughts on it)

I'm not going to take credit for this story or this song, but I'm going to be transparent. There is an amazing lady named Renee Yohe. Her story became the story for To Write Love on Her Arms (website's on the right). Go read it, and if you ever get the chance, pick up her book: Purpose for the Pain. It is fantastic. A story of going from darkness and addiction to light and freedom.

And I'll admit, I've battled a very small degree of depression. Thankfully I found something to live for other than getting high, cutting, or going to the bottle to cover up the pain like others have done. No, I'm not trying to condemn them....just saying there are people looking and searching for what I have found. I found my God who took away the pain. And yes, I sometimes slip into that slight depression by letting the anger build up, but every single time, God reaches down, slaps me in the face to wake me up, and proceeds to pull me out.

But this post isn't about my battle. It is about the battle that Renee faced, and how thankful I am for her story. That things could be much worse, but by the grace of God, I am who I am today. And my heart is running towards the ones crying out for Someone to save them. People are searching for freedom. A freedom that can only be found in Christ. And I'm beginning to think that if we paid attention that perhaps, people would be able to find that freedom by looking at our lives.

Who wouldn't want that kind of freedom?
No more cutting.
No more drugs & alcohol.
No more addiction.
No more destruction
Just healing.
Just sobriety.
Just redemption.
Just life.

There is a band called Between the Trees, and they wrote this song long before the story of To Write Love on Her Arms. They wrote this for Renee, and the words touch my heart.


As she sits in the corner
Face to the floor
She dispels smoke from from her lips
And slowly floats away with it
Letting go of so much pain
Her tears are thick enough to stain
The pavement that slowly becomes
Her best friend when she needs to run away

This is your time to weep
This is your time to mourn
Not yet time to build up
Just a time to tear down
Old walls

Does it help to say I'm sorry?
If so than I'm sorry that you're so unhappy
This life, those lies are starting get you down
Darling, don't let them drag you around
Saying, "It's my fault" doesn't help repeated
Time, love, and Jesus seems to beat it
She'll find out this is harder than
Taking medicine

This is your time to weep
This is your time to mourn
Not yet time to build up
Just a time to tear down

We're still waiting for the fire
Seeing smoke and waiting for the fire

This is your time to weep
This is your time to mourn
Not yet time to build up
Just a time to tear down
Old walls